this morning, campaigns collide. >> a political brawl in the buckeye state, as both sides spend the day in must-win ohio, with one week to the first debate. new polls show a pretty steep climb for mitt romney. midwest twister. an ominous sight through the autumn sky. the damage being assessed right now. football fury. fallout ongoing from that blown call monday night. new questions. why were refs fired when lesser leagues are allowed to officiate one of the league's biggest nights. and last dance. the first elimination on "dancing with the stars." why is everyone talking about the biebs?

good morning, everybody. good to be back. well, all roads on the presidential campaign lead to ohio today. president obama and mitt romney, both return for rallies in the battleground state. >> and it is great to have you back, rob. >> thanks. >> the stakes could not be higher, with the latest polls showing the president pulling ahead among ohio voters. abc's tahman bradley joining us this morning from washington with a preview. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, paula and rob. this is the first time in two months president obama and mitt romney will be in the same state at the same time. they're both holding rallies at the same time. giving a voters a sense of how crucial ohio is. today, a showdown in ohio. president obama and mitt romney spend the day campaigning in the state that could decide the election. the candidates are expected to clash over china. the obama campaign will hit romney for investments in chinese companies. >> you can't stand up to china

when all you've done is send them our jobs. >> reporter: the faceoff in the buckeye state come as new polls show romney falling behind. one poll has the gop nominee eight points behind president obama in ohio. and in florida, romney is behind the president by four points. if romney loses to the president in ohio, it would will difficult. without ohio, romney would need to run the table, picking up virtually every battleground state. if romney hopes to turn things around, he'll need to stay on message. he didn't yesterday at a ohio valley when speaking ant president obama. >> there's one thing he didn't do in his first four years he said he's going to do in the next four years, which is raise taxes. >> reporter: for months, the republicans offered a different view, accusing president obama of raising taxes. the romney campaign was also knocked off message last week with the release of a secret tape, where romney cost 47% of the country dependent on the government.

romney's wife, ann, in a late night appearance with jay leno, called the tape a headache. >> we care about the 100%. and i've seen this guy through his entire life. >> reporter: the next major faceoff comes october 3rd, at the first presidential debate. and both sides are lowering expectations. romney saying that president obama is an eloquent speaker. and the obama campaign saying romney is an experienced debater. >> they will be debating domestic policy. tahman bradley in washington, thank you for that report this morning. as the campaign heats up, the president delivered what will likely be his last major address on the world stage before election day. he called on leaders to stand up against the violence and extremism. he defended free speech. but criticized the deadly protests across the middle east. and the president had much praise for murdered u.s. ambassador, chris stevens. >> we're serious about these ideals. we must speak honestly about the deeper causes of the crisis.

today, we must reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like chris stevens and not by his killers. >> the president vowing to bring stevens' killers to justice, while continuing to support democracy in the muslim world. and it is setting up to be another big day at the u.n., as the spotlight now shifts to arab leaders. iran's president, mahmoud ahmadinejad, is expected to stir up his usual controversy, as he gives his last speech to the general assembly. ahead of the speech, ahmadinejad tells the associated press that it's time for a new world order, away from american bullying and domination. also, history will be made when mohamed morsi, egypt's first democratically-elected leader speaks to the assembly, referring to the violence that broke out over the anti-islam movie. he said that freedom of expression comes with responsibility. and calls on the u.n. to end the war, the violence in syria shows no signs of stopping.

two huge blasts rocked the capital of damascus. a town in southern illinois is cleaning up after getting battered by a tornado. the twister touching down in okawville, near st. louis, along with hail as big as tennis balls. it damaged several homes and ripped off garage doors and uprooted trees. two people were hurt when high winds flipped over a tractor-trailer. and la paz is reeling from a 6.2 earthquake, followed by two powerful aftershocks. the shaker hit the baja, california, peninsula, just before 5:00 last evening. so far, there's been no reports of major injuries or damage. a southern california wildfire that killed a man who refused to evacuate is now more than 50% contained. with strong winds could make it flare up again. nearly 1,000 firefighters were

on the ground after the flames ripped through 4 1/2-square-miles. officials say 11 homes were destroyed. not 20, as initially reported. >> a little bit of good news. not 20. just 11. >> take it where they can get it. the ohio valley could see thunderstorms with the possibility of more tornadoes. it's going to start off rainy in d.c., new york and boston. and thunderstorms by later afternoon. jacksonville and tallahassee also could see showers. >> chicago and minneapolis wake up to some crisp, fall air, with temperatures there in the 60s. dallas, oklahoma city and boise are warmer than usual. phoenix, right about average at a still sweltering 97 degrees. >> is it ever going to cool down there? >> i don't know. millions of jews around the world are marking the day of atonement. yom kippur, israel shuts down its air space and locking border crossing. >> here in the u.s., the holiest day of the jewish calendar is observed with fasting, prayer

and religious services. when we come back on this wednesday morning, fasten your seat belt. we're going to tell you about the record haul that airlines are making on baggage fees. >> you won't believe the number. also this morning, strength in the housing market. even in the hardest-hit cities around the country. and what we're learning now about the replacement refs at the center of the giant football firestorm.

you're looking at live police and protesters clashing in the streets of madrid, as demonstrations against spain's tax hikes and government cutbacks turned violent.

the austerity measures are the latest attempt to get a handle on the country's financial crisis and crushing debt. spain's unemployment rate is almost 25%. in this country, home prices keep heading higher. the closely-watched kay schiller index shows increases in all 20 cities in the survey, with sales picking up and fewer foreclos e foreclosures. nationwide, prices were up 1.2% in july, compared to a year ago, with strong gains among lower-priced homes. and the housing numbers are helping fuel consumer confidence. confidence is at its highest level since last february. that mindset is pretty crucial. consumer spending drives about 70% of the total economy. well, those sky-high airline fees are really adding up. new numbers show domestic airlines raked in a record of more than $1.7 billion in baggage fees, just in the first half of this year. and the government's just-released report reports

more fees. fewer airlines, fewer flights are in our future. barnes & nobel has just unveiled a new nook model to go head-to-head with amazon's kindle and compete with ipads. a seven-inch model starts at $199. and a nine-inch, at $299. and a new video service is coming this fall. tons of technology for us out there. >> it's hard to keep track. >> honestly, i can't. my kids know more about it than i do. when we come back this wednesday morning, a costly call. the huge amount of gambling money that was at stake in that monday night football fiasco. and a quick-thinking teen, risking his life and rushing to the rescue. [ lisa ] my name's lisa, and chantix helped me quit.

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already picked up a little snow this fall. ski areas, such as loveland, arapaho basin saw significant snowfall. but it won't last. temperatures in the 70s this weekend. a taste of winter already. >> i'm not ready for winter. first things first. now, for a look at morning road conditions. the roads could be wet in the ohio valuely have, with strong winds and tornadoes a possibility. interstate 4 in florida could be wet. and the afternoon commute in the northeast is going to be stormy. >> if you're flying today, airport delays are possible in denver, beantown, the big apple, philly and d.c. after the fallout to the "monday night football" football fiasco, with the nfl replacement refs around the microscope. and fans and players still venting. >> this is so the talk of the country right now. the packers/seahawks game is now history. the league's labor troubles are far from over. and abc's dan harris at the outrage at the officials. >> reporter: there's eight seconds on the clock.

the seattle seahawks are losing to the green bay packers. and the seattle quarterback throws a hail mary. >> fought for by tate with jennings, simultaneously. who has it? who do they give it to? touchdown. >> reporter: look at what the two replacement referees do. one of them rules it a touchdown. while the other signals something entirely different. the announcers complain. so does the packers' coach. >> i've never seen anything like it in football. >> reporter: and the players. and others broadcast the commissioner's phone number. a disagreement with paul ryan, himself a packers fan. >> give me a break. it is time to get the real refs. >> reporter: the real refs have been locked out since june, as part of a labor dispute. all season, the replacement refs the league brought in have been

the source of enormous frustration. so, who are they? according to espn, the man who called touchdown is a local executive for bank of america, who has only officiated high school and junior college football games. if there's any good to come out of this, aside for seattle fans -- >> it's the best seahawks game i've ever seen. >> reporter: is that this uproar may help end the lockout. dan harris, abc news, new york. >> needs to end quickly. where there's nfl action there's gambling and a whole lot of money was blown in the final moment of monday night's game. some experts estimate that swing losers totaled $1 billion, with a "b." you think of online bets. nothing you would know about, rob. >> a lot of money. an oregon teenager is enjoying hero status after saving a little boy from a burning home. 14-year-old marco rushed to his

neighbor's house when he heard screams and saw flames shooting from the second floor. the house was already filled with smoke. and the ninth grader said that's when his instincts kicked in. >> i took the ladder. and i propped it up on the window. and i crawled up the window and punched the screen out. and grabbed the 7-year-old boy, about 7, he was 7. and grabbed him and carried him down the ladder. >> firefighters were amazed that marcos was able to keep his composure through all that. the family of the boy showered him with flowers, a card and a million thank yous. time for the latest sports highlights. we get those from our friends at espn news. >> good morning. i'm doug kezirian with your "sportscenter" update. just over a week to go in the baseball regular season. and things are super tight in the american league central. we'll start in chicago with the white sox and indians. starts the day yesterday, having

a one-game lead over the tigers. bottom nine. white sox down 4-2. but paul konerko hits the first pitch he sees for a home run. later in the inning, two on, two outs. he grounds out to end the game. white sox lose, 4-3. they've lost six of their last seven. the tigers win, we have a win in the a.l. central. bottom first, no score. miguel cabrera, finding a way for the first triple crown in the american league. 0 for 3 yesterday. but prince fielder hits a blast. fielder singles to center off the deck. the tigers win 2-0. and we're tied with eight games to go. national league. great one in atlanta. braves, hosting the marlins. top second. no score. chris medellin on the bump, seven innings, eight ks. more on him in a sec.

bottom nine. braves down a run. one on. freddie freeman. a walkoff homer. braves clinch a playoff spot in dramatic fashion. they've won 22-straight times when medlen starts a game. that ties a baseball record. i'm doug ka seezirian, have a g day. you know the storied rivalry between notre dame and michigan, it may be over for good. notre dame has opted out of its contract with michigan to fulfill schedule obligations with the acc. the two powerhouse teams have faced off 40 times since 1887. the earliest they could meet again is 2020. >> wow. >> i can't imagine the two of them not going at it. >> didn't they beat your team over the weekend? >> yeah. >> just wanted to rub that in. >> last year, they did it. last year. up next, "the pulse." and who was sent packing on

"dancing with the stars." the first one to get the boot. and who else is creating a lot of buzz? and country crooner, carrie underwood meets a young fan on stage. and he has one thing on his mind. help relieve the pain and stop the damage with humira, adalimumab. for many adults with moderate to severe ra, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. so you can treat more than just the pain. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores.

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with tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] tums freshers. fast relief, fresh breath, it is time to check "the pulse," stories you're going to be talking about on this wednesday. beginning with the first casualty from the "dancing with the stars" all-star lineup. >> the first elimination is not a big shock to anyone who watched monday night. pamela anderson is out after ending up at the bottom of the leaderboard. she's not all that surprised after the judges called her out for not putting enough time into her cha-cha. >> i need to watch it again.

it was so painful the first time. she told jimmy kimmel that she and her partner, tristan didn't get enough time to rehearse. it was painful to watch that. >> she is going on to broadway. pamela's a thespian. she'll be good. the bigger buzz backstage involved justin bieber who performed on the results show. >> the big question, was he wearing a leather onesie? according to dance pro, it was a onesie. but it wasn't leather. it was pleather. and he shows up rocking one on next week's show. justin bieber looks like a little kid. what do little kids wear? onesies. >> all right. >> he can pull it f. >> that's debatable. two of country's biggest stars provided today's aw moment. toby keith pulled off a big

surprise. he asked a military wife to join him on stage. she was emotional hearing the lyrics. then, a man dressed in camouflage walked on to the stage, handing keith a guitar. it turns out it was her husband returning home early from afghanistan. >> i love that embrace. >> good to see that. and also, a bit of a shocker from carrie underwood. >> during a cancer in louisville, she saw a little boy who was waving a sign, will you be my first kiss. her husband was nearby. she asked the boy, how they should do this? his unabashed response, give me some lip action. and she graciously complied, dubbing the lucky boy the smartest kid ever. >> you don't know until you ask. well done, junior. she did warn other hopefuls, this will be the one and only time she will be smooching on stage. he went for it. player player?

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updating our top stories now this morning. mahmoud ahmadinejad makes his last speech to the united nations today, as his second presidential term comes to an end. mitt romney and president obama converge in ohio today, with competing campaign appearances. romney is wrapping up his three-day bus tour of the state. president obama speaking in bowling green and kent. a tornado has ripped through a small illinois town not far from st. louis. it damaged homes and cars and flipped over an 18-wheeler, sending two people to the hospital. looking at today's weather, pleasant in the west, thunderstorms and tornadoes are a threat in the midwest. it's going to be a rainy start in the east, with storms in the late afternoon. before signing a bill that paves the way for self-driving cars -- yes, we said

self-driving cars, california governor jerry brown called those science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality. >> they're closer to becoming reality than you think. abc's jim avila has taken one for a test drive. >> reporter: you've seen this, cars that slam on the brakes before you hit a pole. but here's something you have never seen. the car of the future. making the driver totally unnecessary. no hands. google's working on one. and the federal government is sponsoring a field test in ann arbor, michigan. with cars that automatically swerve past accidents and alert you to oncoming hazards. now, this at general motors test track. i sat in the driver's seat when this car stayed in its lane. it stopped on its own when a car driving 30 miles an hour slower, pulled in front of us. >> we can see the day when cars

avoid collisions. >> reporter: it's on a dream, since george jetson sat in his flying car. >> the vehicle can take complete control and take you to your destination in comfort and safety and security. >> reporter: this prototype used radar, cameras and gps to drive itself. feet off the pedals. can look away. don't do this at home. at any time the driver can take back control. but on the highway, when driving is the least fun and humans are easily distracted, supercruise can navigate the hazards. >> the system doesn't get distracted. it doesn't fall asleep. >> reporter: and is expected to be in the first gm cars as early as 2015. jim avila, abc news, detroit. >> we know computers never malfunction. that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great wednesday.